Thiago Soares, Brazilian dancer and former Royal Ballet principal.

*This interview was conducted in “Portunglês”, a mix of Brazilian Portuguese and English, and has therefore been translated across parts. 

For those who don’t know you, how would you introduce yourself and what you do?

My name is Thiago Soares. I’m from Rio de Janeiro; I’m a dancer and a choreographer. I’ve been an artist since I was 14 years old, when I joined a dance group in my neighbourhood. Since then, that’s what I’ve been doing my entire life. I'm lucky to consider myself an artist, but one that's had quite an unusual journey - from dancing in community groups and in the streets of Rio, to ending up in the biggest opera houses around the world. 

What first drew you to dance?

I kind of got into it by chance, actually. As a child, I was somebody who was always off to the side, waiting for something to happen. And then eventually movement came into my life.
There was a dance group on my street and I used to watch the way they would express themselves through movement. I was drawn in by that freedom, and  once I gave it a try I was suddenly myself. Everything changed because, as with any sport, I felt myself get into shape, but also felt it shaped my confidence. When I moved, I felt as though people were listening to me, noticing that I had something to say, for the first time. So, it was through dance and movement that I really discovered my voice.

How has growing up in Rio influenced the way you move and express yourself?

I’ve always been obsessed with this city. I’ve danced in more than 30 countries around the world, but none compare to my home. I always try to create projects that I could bring back here, from Europe to Rio.
I think it’s because I had this first period of my life in the bairros, in the open air. I was raised by the city: dancing with people outside, staying out for late nights, and the connection with the salty water and the greenery that we have here. I think I’m just one of those people that needs to be here and needs to project my mind here to understand who I am; that way everything makes sense, and I can go out and share it with the world.

Rio is a city known for music and dance—much of it thanks to samba. How would you describe the city’s rhythm?

Rio is a very laid-back kind of city, it's got its own time. There can be delays or unpredictable factors to the everyday, but they're usually for a good reason. The imperfections of Rio are what make it an incredible place, because it flirts with the vulnerability of not being perfect; but I think there is beauty in that. I think the samba culture and this idea of the jeitinho*, to get on with your life, is very present as well. There is an essence of happiness that is always around you when you're here.

*jeitinho: the Brazilian “little way” of doing things

What does ‘moving freely’ mean to you?
To me, it's such an important reminder. I think that’s part of the magic of the “dance of life”, because we are always tied up with something––we’re constantly dealing with dilemmas and tensions and we end up holding back because of that. When you can find that rhythm of ‘moving freely’, that’s where the joy is. Liberdade… that's the whole point, you know? 
I think through dance I can translate that, because the moments when [dancers] look their best is when they've let go and are moving freely. That's the whole reason I do it, to find those moments. It’s rare, actually, to see somebody completely free doing what they do; so I think it’s quite amazing. 

Is there a place or an unexpected setting where you particularly love to dance?

Actually, I love to move on the beach. I was very happy that we shot in São Conrado beach, because I live in Barra [da Tijuca, a borough in Rio]. Every morning I walk down to the shore very early, around five or six A.M. I do my stretches, I do my thing, but then I throw a couple of moves and I kind of investigate where my body is at that day.
That gives me a bit of a ‘first dance’ in the morning. It’s not necessarily choreography, it's more spontaneous than that. Then I look out at the view, I jump in the water, it’s a nice start to the day. That's when I remember, okay, I really am a menino do Rio* [laughs].

*menino do Rio: a “boy from Rio”; a true Carioca

How important is what you wear to the way you move and perform?

Oh, it's very important. I've started to pay more attention to what fabric I'm wearing on my body, what I’m bringing into my practice, and how the clothing feels when I move.
In the beginning of my career, most of what I wore to perform was dictated to me. As I got older and gained more autonomy, it became more and more important. Eventually, I got to this point where I had time to analyse [the garments] a little bit and find things that connected with me and the idea of where I wanted my art to go. Lately, I feel very privileged because I do have the time now to consider what I'm wearing everyday. I’m not there for hours, but just enough to figure out what I'm projecting that day with my clothing and why.

Denim is traditionally associated with structure and rigidity. What did it feel like to move in the Move Freely pieces?

I love it–– and I’m not somebody that wears jeans much. I have one or two pairs of jeans somewhere, but I’m more into linen and cotton, especially because I’m living in Rio full-time now. But the Move Freely pieces are beautiful because they’re so soft, and they have something delicate about them as well. The cut's great and the stretch was fantastic for what I wanted to do with my movements. But I must say, my favourites were the [Emilio and Rocha] set. That feels like an outfit that I could dance in, like it's made for it.

What do you hope people feel when they watch you dance?

I hope they feel a sense of liberty and a sense of honesty, because I do feel that when we move, we can’t hide anything. I hope people can hear my truth, that the movement communicates something they can connect with.

Thiago puts our Move Freely Denim to the ultimate test on Copacabana’s iconic promenade in his native Rio de Janeiro.

Discover Move Freely Denim